Monsanto names seed traits Genuity

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Monsanto Specialty crop traits have a new name and look for the 2010 crop season. The new brand name Genuity covers Monsanto's entire family of technology traits — from VT Triple Pro and SmartStax to Roundup Ready 2 Yield.

Monsanto decided to move all its traits under one brand name to help customers quickly identify the traits in its seed bag. Previously, a bag of seed had multiple trait labels printed on it, depending on what was included in the seed. As Monsanto continued to develop more traits, the bag became cluttered with new labels.

The new Genuity brand includes a system of four icons that will accompany the Genuity name. The icons will identify traits for herbicide tolerance, insect protection, weather protection and increased productivity. Also, trait descriptions, such as Roundup Ready and VT Triple Pro, will be written beneath the icons.

Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Robert Fraley reports that the company plans to develop 30 to 40 new products in the next decade, so it needed a new brand initiative to handle the increasing number of new traits. Fraley believes that, in the future, seed stacks will contain 15 to 20 different genes.